All-District Choir

On Oct. 1, six choir students auditioned and earned placement into one of the three All-District choirs: men’s, women’s and mixed.

Kaitlyn Minet Choir teacher Jason Elam leading students including junior Jackson Mattingly (left) through the Alma Mater at the football game on Oct. 14.

Senior Katherine Olawaiye earned a spot in the women’s choir along with seniors Maddie Fields and Kiara DeVine. Junior Jackson Mattingly and sophomore Lana Moerer earned a place in the mixed choir and junior Kyle Hayden in the men’s choir.

Olawaiye began preparing as soon as she could.

“Right when I heard about this I started practicing because I already knew Elam [choir teacher] was going to have me sign up for it,” Olawaiye said. “I practiced about an hour or two a day.”

Olawaiye feels that All-District auditions are much harder than normal rehearsals because of the lack of a group.

“It’s [All-Districts auditions] more intense because it’s one-on-one,” Olawaiye said. “When you’re in a choir, it’s harder for him [choir teacher Jason Elam] to hear individual mistakes or things he needs to fix.”

The All-District results are a way for Olawaiye to measure her progress.

“For me it’s a nice personal record so I know how good I’m doing and if I need to fix anything,” Olawaiye said.

Elam is satisfied with the results.

“Just to have kiddos make it into these ensembles is a big deal and I’m extremely proud of all of them as well as the ones who put themselves out there to audition,” Elam said.